Unforgotten

[poliphilo]

My involvement in Wicca ended badly- and I've not wanted to revisit that time of my life- but Rik, our last initiate, came round for a chat yesterday afternoon and- rather to my surprise- led me into happy reminiscence- so I suppose I've left that particular slough of despond behind.

Good. 

Apart from the way it ended, being a witch was- take it all in all- a highly entertaining experience. I don't suppose I've ever had so much fun before or since. And it's good to know that Rik is keeping the name of our coven alive and handing on the flame. I'd have thought we'd have been long forgotten on the scene but apparently our names still count for something- and not only because we wrote a "how to do it" Wiccan manual. Rik was talking about us to a group of pagans and one of them said, "Tony Grist- isn't he the guy who founded the Manchester Goddess Group?"

Well, yes indeed. Way back In 1991. And how amazing that anyone still remembers. It was me and Kath Barber- with Ailz coming along shortly after to make it three.

You still out there, Kath?

Comments

[mamarose.livejournal.com]

My involvement in Wicca ended badly, too.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Pagan groups are very volatile, I think.

[mamarose.livejournal.com]

In many of the groups, there seems to be a lot of ego involved. I thought things were going very well in the group I was in, you can imagine my shock when out of the blue my separation papers arrive by mail, with a list of national organizations that I was to forever avoid. No explanation, nothing. Having been an active member for several years, I was shocked.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's extraordinary.

Yes, there's a lot of ego involved. Another thing is that the people who join pagan organisations tend to be fiercely independent, opinionated and unclubbable. My whole experience of pagan groups and covens is that they're always coming apart at the seams.

[oakmouse]

So are magical orders. It seems to be true of any organized group that brings through much of anything in the way of energies. Unless you have a small group of dedicated people who are totally on the same wavelength (which is rare and difficult to achieve), fissioning or terminal explosions seem to be inevitable.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm guilty myself. I left my mother coven prematurely because I got sick of being "messed around" (as I thought) by people who knew less than I did.